Polyol and isocyanate may be mixed and reacted with each other to provide polyurethane foam, which may be formed in a large free-rise bun. The free-rise bun of polyurethane foam may then be sliced to provide a plurality of similarly sized skived polyurethane foam sheets. The polyurethane foam sheets may then be used in the manufacture of other products. For example, the polyurethane foam sheets may be used in the manufacture of automotive trim products, such as headliners.
Trim waste may be produced when the bun of polyurethane foam is sliced to ultimately produce various polyurethane foam products. The trim waste may be used in various recycling streams, such as being used as rebond foam or as a filler. To produce rebonded polyurethane foam, the trim waste may be shredded to suitable sizes which are then glued together, typically to provide a rebonded sheet which may be used for carpet underlay. The polyurethane foam may also be pulverized to provide a regrind of suitable particle size to be used as a filler in subsequent plastic processing operations.
While use of the polyurethane foam trim waste in such foregoing manners may better protect the environment as opposed to discarding the trim waste into a landfill, it is desirable to incorporate the trim waste back into the manufacturing process from which it originated and not rely upon alternative recycling streams.